Low-Code Development Platform (LCDP) is the environment required for low-code development. Most low-code platforms are provided on the cloud in the form of aPaaS (Application Platform as a Service), which is used not only for development but also for running applications, enabling consistent support from software development to application.
The so-called low-code development refers to the technique of realizing system development in a very short period of time by using the visual operation of "graphical user interface/GUI" without writing source code as much as possible. There are also tools for creating applications by searching for the required components in a Web browser, integrating them, and pasting them together.
With low-code development, you can create databases without SQL notation, simplifying the development process. While ensuring a certain degree of scalability, you can effectively shorten the development time.
Why choose a low-code development platform?Low-code development platforms were first noticed for mobile app development. Compared to basic system development, mobile app development requires more speed and must also support multiple devices. Traditionally, it was very difficult to launch such mobile apps in a short period of time, and thus, low-code development platforms came into the picture for developers.
The biggest reason for the interest in low-code development platforms in today's society is digital transformation (DX). By digital transformation, we mean fundamentally changing the business model of an organization by connecting everything through digital data through information technologies such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Many organizations are currently working on digital transformation to survive the fast-moving times. An organization's IT department must work more intensively on software development in order to advance digital transformation. However, the number of software development technicians is far from enough, and IT departments alone simply cannot meet the demand for software development.
Low-code development platforms can be used by non-professional developers, such as general business people, front-line staff, and managers, with or without development fundamentals or experience, and can be used for software development with simple training.
Advantages of low-code development
Shorten development time
The biggest advantage of low-code development is that it can shorten the development time, which also saves the development cost. Low-code development platforms provide a large number of common components that can realize some basic functions. If necessary, you can add your own code to meet the user's functional requirements and provide applications of stable quality.
No need to worry about security
The vendors of low-code development platforms provide appropriate security countermeasures, so users don't need to worry about the security of the program and the security risks during the development process. If you need to write your own code to realize a particular function, you only need to focus on the security of the part you write.
Lowering the Development Barrier
In low-code development, programs can be written on dedicated platforms without having to write complex source code. Even people without specialized education in programming can easily work on development on the platform. Under the traditional impression that program development is done by professional engineers, the threshold of program development is greatly reduced with low-code development platforms.
Key Features of Low-Code Development PlatformsUniversal Components
Low-code development platforms offer a large number of general-purpose components, and these are available in a wide variety of categories.
In addition, users can also utilize components developed by third parties. Such reusable forms of components underpin visual modeling in low-code development platforms.
Visual Modeling
The low-code development platform is based on model-driven development, which allows anyone to easily develop programs through visual modeling.
Drag-and-drop enables the integration of required processes and components to create programs without programming. Also, engineers with programming skills can customize components by coding as needed.
Support for Various Architectures
To develop the base system corresponding to the enterprise architecture, it is necessary to have the capability to collaborate with various systems. In this regard, the low-code development platform supports most major operating systems and databases.
Additionally, the rich variety of APIs allows for free collaboration with external systems. As a result, the low-code development platform is scalable and has an open architecture to support the development of basic systems for large enterprises.
Code-based extensions
No-code tools that do not use code at all are characterized by the use of predefined functions to create simple applications. For low-code development platforms, users are also free to extend the functionality of components through coding.
Low-code development platforms can be customized in a wide variety of ways according to the respective needs of the client, and can handle even complex large-scale system development.
Overall software lifecycle support
Most of the low-code development platforms currently available are in the form of cloud services aPaaS.
Thus, the low-code development platform is not just an application development tool, but also carries functions to support the entire software lifecycle from the development process such as automatic connection with the database, testing, official startup, further operation management, and change management, to the actual application process.
Difference with No-Code Development PlatformNo-Code Development Platform (NCDP) is the counterpart of Low-Code Development Platform. No-Code, as the name suggests, is a development methodology that does not presuppose writing code.
Low-code and no-code are very similar in a way. The aforementioned features of low-code development platforms such as visual modeling, reusable generic components, and lifecycle management are also applicable to no-code development platforms.
No-code development platforms are equally suitable for professional developers and no-frills developers, providing environments that make it easy to release applications in less time. There is no need for programming through coding, and it is provided through a PaaS platform that can be run immediately without building an operating environment.
At first glance, no-code development platforms simply remove the element of writing code from low-code development platforms. But in reality they are very different.
First, no-code development platforms cannot be extended or customized by writing code. Therefore, the goal of a no-code development platform is to enable relatively simple program development within the scope of functionality through pre-prepared components and APIs. It does not require system design and database design by professional developers, and can be used immediately after a simple functional design.
The typical example is the average business person who uses spreadsheets such as Excel, systematizes Excel and paper work, and creates his or her own applications to simplify daily work. These applications are operated by their users and have the flexibility to adjust the functionality of the applications as the business changes.
No-code development platforms cannot extend functionality by writing code, so they are not suitable for program development with more functionality. In addition, the API is not suitable for core system development because of its low degree of freedom of system collaboration.
Low-code: marching toward a better futureThe low-code industry is building a healthy ecosystem thanks to the efforts of some vendors. As we discuss the future of low-code, we need to be clear that low-code is not a panacea, and that it has clear boundaries of capability, rather than "taking away programmers' jobs," as some voices have said. Low-code is the "last mile" in the digital construction of enterprises, and the Chinese market will have a low-code side of the world under the value empowerment of the digitalization process of enterprises.
The domestic simple ride (jabdp) development platform is a low-code development platform, complex business functions, only need to know the basic sql statements and javascript syntax, can be quickly developed to meet their personalized business needs, design a variety of complex enterprise web applications. The main features are as follows:Can be flexibly customized : Jane ride (jabdp) low-code platform provides a powerful customization capabilities , including page customization , data table management , business process customization , etc. , to facilitate the realization of various types of enterprise applications .
Privilege management: jabdp provides organizational structure management and fine-grained privilege management for many people, which makes it easy for enterprises to set and adjust privileges flexibly according to the actual situation, and promotes internal collaboration.
Easy to deploy and maintain: jabdp provides one-click deployment without the need to configure complex web servers; it is also easier to maintain the system according to the changing needs of the enterprise.
Support for secondary development and system integration: jabdp low-code platform is an open rapid development platform, experienced programmers can still customize the development of many advanced features based on jabdp, without the limitations of jabdp itself; at the same time, jabdp low-code platform developed applications can be easily integrated with the existing enterprise information system, or with WeChat. information systems, or with WeChat, Nail and other third-party application integration.
Jabdp's low-code platform is suitable for the development of most enterprise-level web applications, especially for enterprise information management systems (MIS), enterprise resource planning systems (ERP), customer relationship management systems (CRM), business support systems (BSS), and so on. system (BSS) and so on. And some of the classic project cases extracted from the integration of various types of project templates, *** enjoy to the developer for reference, the developer can be modified on the basis of the original project customization to create their personalized enterprise information platform.
A common misconception about low-code development platforms is that they are only suitable for civilian developers (Citizen?Developer). Citizen developers are non-traditional developers with no professional programming education who primarily use low-code platforms to create and customize applications.
Of course, by using a low-code development platform, the technical requirements for most project personnel can be reduced. When multiple projects are running in parallel, only one experienced programmer is needed for the design of data tables, business logic, and so on, and no programming skills are required for other project personnel, which effectively controls project investment in both the direction of person-months and personnel requirements.
With the help of low-code development platform, we can more efficiently understand the needs of information technology projects of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), control the cost of project development, and at the same time, adapt to the characteristics of SMEs' information technology needs to change quickly and lack of professional and technical personnel to maintain the project, so it is the best choice for developing information technology projects of SMEs.